*CA-CoP* *CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE* *for sustainable production intensification * *Alert No. 35 (16 June 2014) * *1. **6th World Congress of Conservation Agriculture to be held June 22-26, 2014, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada* The 6th World Congress of Conservation Agriculture will be held June 22-26, 2014, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Learn more at www.ctic.org/WCCA The 6th WCCA registration is open at: https://www.ctic.org/registration/22/step/0/ Concurrent session tracks will explore the following areas of Conservation Agriculture: Track 1: Growing with less – the future of sustainable intensification Track 2: Weatherproofing agriculture – the adaptation of farming practices to address climate variability Track 3: Increasing conservation adoption – how innovative technology and approaches can drive greater adoption of conservation systems around the world. Direct your inquiries to: Karen A. Scanlon Conservation Technology Information Center 3495 Kent Avenue, Suite J100 West Lafayette, IN 47906, USA Tel: 765-494-2238; Fax: 765-463-4106 Email: [log in to unmask] *2. **Agroecology for Africa – AfA 2014, International Conference on Agroecology and Sustainability of Tropical Rainfed Cropping Systems, 03-04 November 2014, Antananarivo, Madagascar.* Conference Themes:The conference seeks to improve both scientific and practical understanding of how agroecology is best integrated in the management of tropical rainfed agriculture for sustainability by African small-scale farmers. Specific themes include: * 1- * *Exploring options for sustainable ecological processes and the development of the (agro) biodiversity of rainfed cropping systems. 2- Identifying bottlenecks and opportunities for implementation of Agroecology.* *3- Building capacity in climate-smart agriculture through agroecology * More information at: http://www.cirad.mg/conference/AFA-2014/ *3. **Regional Conference on Conservation Agriculture for Smallholders in Asia and Africa, Bangladesh, 7-11 December 2014.* Conference themes: (i) Machinery: Design and development of CA-based crop establishment and herbicides spraying machinery, implements, tools for smallholders. (ii) Weed management: Suitable weed management options (chemical, mechanical, crop rotation and biological). (iii) Soil, water and agronomy. (iv) Commercialization adoption and continuous improvement of CA-based technologies. (v) Policy and institutional framework for the adoption of CA. For more information, visit: http://www.scac2014.org/ Contacts: Dr. Md. Enamul Haque ([log in to unmask]) Dr Richard W Bell ([log in to unmask]) *4. **Pioneers in Soil Conservation and Conservation Agriculture. International Soil and Water Conservation Research.* <ftp://ext-ftp.fao.org/ag/Data/agp/Friedrich/Alert 35/Specil_issue_ISWRC.pdf> Special Issue Edited by: J. Dumanski, D. C. Reicosky, and R. A. Peiretti. Volume 2 Number 1 March 2014. *5. **On-farm evaluation of the effects of the principles and components of Conservation Agriculture on maize yields and weed biomass in Malawi.* <ftp://ext-ftp.fao.org/ag/Data/agp/Friedrich/Alert 35/Ngwira_2014.pdf> By N. R. Ngwira, J. B.Aune and C. Thierfelder. Experimental Agriculture, April 2014. (DOI: 10.1071/S001447971400009X). *6. **Technologies for adoption for climate change: Examples from agriculture and water sectors in Lebanon.* <ftp://ext-ftp.fao.org/ag/Data/agp/Friedrich/Alert 35/Traerup&Stephan2014_climatic_change.pdf> By Sara Taerup and Jean Stephan. Climate Change, June 2014. (DOI: 10.1071g10584-014-1158-4) *7. **Fertilizer should not be a fourth principle to define Conservation Agriculture: Response to the opinion paper of Vanlauwe at al. (2014) ‘A fourth principle is required to define Conservation Agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa: The appropriate use of fertilizer to enhance crop productivity.’* <ftp://ext-ftp.fao.org/ag/Data/agp/Friedrich/Alert 35/Sommer_Fertilizer_use_fourth_principle_in_CA.pdf> By R. Sommer, C. Thierfelder, P.Tittonell, L. Hove, J.Murithi and S. Mkomwa . Field Crops Research, 2014. (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2014.05.012) *8. **Conservation Agriculture with Trees: Principles and Practice. A simplified guide for extension staff and farmers.* <ftp://ext-ftp.fao.org/ag/Data/agp/Friedrich/Alert 35/CA_with_trees.pdf> By J. Mutua, J. Muriuki, P. Gachie, M. Bourne and J. Capis. Technical Manual 21. World Agroforestry Center (ICRAF), Nairobi, Kenya. 2014. *9. **Improving land and water management* <ftp://ext-ftp.fao.org/ag/Data/agp/Friedrich/Alert 35/Winterbottom_2013_WRI_ Land_&_ Water.pdf>*. *By R. Winterbottom, C. Reij, D. Garrity, J. Glover, D. Hellums, M. McGahauey and S. Scherr. World Resource Institute Working paper Installment 4 of *Creating a Sustainable Food Future.* Washington DC. October 2013. ( http://www.worldresourcesreport.org). *10. * *Report of the Conservation Agriculture Consultative Workshop* <ftp://ext-ftp.fao.org/ag/Data/agp/Friedrich/Alert 35/ACT_CA_Workshop_Report_2013 final.pdf>*. *Edited by S. Mkomwa. African Conservation Tillage (ACT) Network, Nairobi, Kenya. *11. ** Up-dating Conservation Agriculture Data Base in AquaStat, FAO * The CA land area data base is updated periodically based on the feedback received from our regular sources of information and is posted in AquaStat. The latest figures can be seen at the FAO CA-Website at ( http://www.fao.org/ag/ca/6c.html). *We are updating the CA land area data base displayed in AquaStat (* *www.fao.org/ag/ca* <http://www.fao.org/ag/ca>*), and are contacting our regular sources of information in the next few weeks. However, anyone else who would like to provide information on the land area under CA systems at the national level would be most welcome.* *Ideally, we would appreciate receiving from you the CA area information at the sub-national level (by state, province or region), together with any relevant historical information on adoption (such as when was CA introduced; duration under CA – x ha under 3 yrs, y ha between 3 and 6 yrs, z ha more than 6 yrs), cropping pattern, farm size, agro-ecology, constraints, etc. * *For the recording purpose please adhere to the reference quantification of the CA definition on the FAO-CA website (**http://www.fao.org/ag/ca/6c.html* <http://www.fao.org/ag/ca/6c.html>*):* *1. Minimum Soil Disturbance: Minimum soil disturbance refers to low disturbance no-tillage and direct seeding. The disturbed area for seeding must be less than 15 cm wide or less than 25% of the cropped area (whichever is lower). There should be no periodic tillage that disturbs a greater area than the aforementioned limits. Area under strip tillage can be included only if the disturbed area is less than the above set limits.* *2. Maintenance of organic soil cover: Three categories are distinguished: 30-60%, >60-90% and >90% ground cover, measured immediately after the direct seeding/planting operation. For this data base, area with less than 30% cover is not considered as being under CA.* *3. Crop rotation/association: Rotation/association should involve at least 3 different crops. However, repetitive wheat or maize or rice cropping that meets requirements 1 and 2 above is not an exclusion factor for the purpose of this data collection, but rotation/association is recorded where practiced.* *We would further like to stress that the database counts actual land area under annual crops with CA (permanent no-till). No-till area by crop will not be recorded to avoid double recording of the same land area.* *Area under perennial crop systems including orchards and permanent pastures will be recorded separately. If there is CA land area under perennial crop systems in the country, please include the information as separate categories at the sub-national level (by state, province or region), together with any relevant historical information on adoption (such as when was CA introduced; duration under CA – x ha under 3 yrs, y ha between 3 to 6 yrs, z ha more than 6 yrs), cropping pattern, farm size, agro-ecology, constraints, etc.* *Amir Kassam * *Moderator* e-mail: [log in to unmask] URL: www.fao.org/ag/ca *Sustainable Crop Production Intensification* --------- To subscribe to the CA-CoP-L list, send an e-mail to [log in to unmask] leaving the subject line blank and placing only the one-line message: ‘*SUBSCRIBE CA-CoP-L Name Surname*’ in the message part without any further text such as an address, etc. To unsubscribe from the CA-CoP-L list, send an e-mail message to [log in to unmask] leaving the subject line blank and placing only the one-line message: '*SIGNOFF CA-CoP-L*' in the message part without any further text such as a name, address, etc. ######################################################################## To unsubscribe from the CA-Cop-L list, click the following link: &*TICKET_URL(CA-Cop-L,SIGNOFF);